My Story
The press has hailed her as “…a star of tomorrow, today.” They’ve said, “…when she sings, all she has to do is open her mouth and the notes spill out sweetly and effortlessly.” Regis Philbin called her “…a beautiful operatic singer. Boy oh boy, is she great! She’s really amazing!”
Melissa Zapin started as a soprano in Honolulu, Hawaii with little more than a big voice and an even bigger dream. Determined to back up her talent with education, Melissa entered a pageant on a whim in order to finance her college education. An unforgettable aria won her the title of Miss Hawaii and a trip to the famed Miss America stage, where she secured a talent and swimsuit win, a top 10 finish and a tuition paid in full. Fast forward to a first place win in the NSAL Opera Competition; accolades for her award-winning performances in the lead role of Christine in Yeston’s Phantom and the title role in Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella; and a regular guest spot with the Hawaii Opera Theater.
After arriving in New York City, Melissa’s talent was taken under the wing of some of the industry’s most respected voice teachers, including Bill Schuman. Her voice and presence captured the attention of opera-lover Donald Trump, and she was invited to the famous Mar-A-Lago resort to perform a private operatic concert for his high profile guests. Since then, her extraordinary gifts, showcased in concerts on international stages, have won her honors around the globe. In the last two years alone, Melissa was a finalist at the 2009 Hungarian Musical Arts Festival; has been hand-picked by famed tenor Marcello Giordani to accompany him in her solo soprano debut at the Fresno Grand Opera House; sung throughout Europe and the US in roles as legendary and demanding as The Countess in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, Musetta in Pucccini’s La bohème; in Liu in Puccini’s Turandot and Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen; and in the realization of one of her greatest dreams, made her solo Carnegie Hall debut in Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Consessore. In 2011, Melissa has starred on the stage of the Vero Beach Opera House as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, supported by a European cast; was featured as the solo soprano in John Rutter’s Mass at Carnegie Hall; and starred in a sold-out operatic concert at the legendary Feinstein’s at the Loews Regency New York.
In addition to a blooming opera career, Zapin has enjoyed an active and diverse career as an in-demand voiceover artist, and has appeared on television in hit shows such as Sex in the City.
In Italiano